1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed in general to communications systems and methods for operating same, and more particularly to user interfaces which include a context aware dynamic ribbon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic devices have interfaces which group information for ease of use. One such grouping on handheld devices is called a ribbon which is analogous to a window or tab in desktop computing environments. A ribbon can have many attributes such as a name, e.g. “Favorites,” a theme, a background, and contents. The contents of a ribbon could include informational displays, e.g. the time of day, actionable items, e.g. an icon to launch an email application, open some folder or switch to other ribbons. A ribbon has access to an area of the display screen of the device and so has the ability to control not only its contents but also where and how the contents are displayed. For example, a ribbon can be programmed to place certain items, e.g. icons, at the top of the ribbon and others at the bottom. A ribbon can also be programmed to make certain of its contents appear more salient by, for example, increasing the font used to display their names, increasing the color saturation when displaying their icons or altering their transparencies.